Rack for catalogs and the like



Nov. 3, 1959 L. o. GARNER 2,910,802

RACK FOR CATALOGS AND THE .LIKE

Filed Feb. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.!

IOI

INVENTOR.

LUE O. GARNER Nov. 3, 1959 L. o. GARNER 2,910,802

RACK FOR CATALOGS AND THE-LIKE Filed Feb. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LUE O. GARNER Wad/ m United States Patent RACK FOR CATALOGS AND THE LIKE Lue 0. Garner, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to General Merchandising Corporation, Memphis, Tenn.

This invention relates to a rack for selectively positioning catalogs and the like for the examination thereof.

The present invention is especially directed towards overcoming the disadvantages inherent at the places of examination of catalogs, as for example in mail order stores.

Usually, at such mail order stores the catalogs are simply placed loose upon a counter at which the purchaser looks up an item in a catalog. If there be a crowd of customers or if there be a number of different catalogs, much confusion results to the exasperation of the customers.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a convenient, orderly, and quick means for the examination of one of a plurality of catalogs.

A further object is to provide a catalog rack for carrying a number of catalogs, yet which takes up a minimum of space.

A further object is to provide means for retaining in a closed disposition the catalogs not in use, and yet permit opening of the catalog which is in a position of use.

A further object is to provide a unique means for holding the catalogs.

A further object is to provide novel means for indexing the catalogs into a selected position of use and means for temporarily holding the selected catalog in said position of use.

A further object is to provide means for automatically closing the catalog previously used upon movement of another catalog into a position of use.

A further object is generally to improve the design and construction of racks for catalogs and the like.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the catalog rack of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken as on lineII--II of Fig. 1, and showing a catalog in place on one of the holders.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device with a pair of catalogs being shown in place on a pair of the holders.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line IV--IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the scale of Fig. 4 and taken as on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of a holder for use with a loose leaf type of catalog, and with a fragmentary portion of the carrier being shown.

Fig. 7 is a top plan'view of the device of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the pages of a catalog which is adapted to be held by the holder shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view on a reduced scale of a holder for use with a bound type of catalog and with a fragmentary portion of the carrier being shown.

ICC

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but on a reduced scale, of a modified arrangement of the present invention, and with a part of one of the plates being shown as a fragment for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken as on the line XI-XI of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by reference characters, the catalog rack 11 of the present invention includes a frame 13 which, in general, preferably includes a front panel 15, a top 17, a bottom 19, a rear panel 21 and side panels 23. The back of frame 13 is open to provide access to ledges 25 disposed between side panels 23 for the stor age of excess catalogs or the like.

A projection 27 is mounted on front panel 15 and extends forwardly therefrom. The upper part of projection 27 slopes downwardly and forwardly from front panel 15 to form a shelf 29 and the bottom part of the projection slopes rearwardly and downwardly from the forward edge of shelf 29 to its point of attachment with front panel 15 thereby establishing projection 27 as being substantially triangular when viewed from the end as in Fig. 2. In addition, a lip 31 is mounted on projection 27 adjacent the outer edge of shelf 29 and upstands therefrom.

A vertical slot 33 is provided through an upper portion of catalog rack 11 and separates projection 27 into two parts with the end wall 35 of each part defining a part of the opposite side walls of the slot. Substantially the remainder of the side walls of slot 33 is defined by a pair of parallel vertically disposed spaced plates 37. As viewed from the side, as in Fig. 2, plates 37 are preferably in the shape of a segment of a circle.

A plurality of holders 39 are fixedly mounted on a carrier 41 which in turn is movably mounted on frame 13 for movement to carry holders 39 through slot 33 in a continuous circular path. In the preferred embodiment, best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, carrier 41 preferably comprises a hub 43 rotatably mounted from frame 13 by an axle 45 extending across slot 33. Holders 39 are fixedly mounted on hub 43 and extend outwardly there from in circumferentially equally spaced relationship as best seen in Fig. 2. The outer ends of holders 39 are respectively provided with knobs 47 which project outwardly beyond plates 37. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the assembly 48 including holders 39, hub 43, and knobs 47 may be moved in a circular path by pulling on one of knobs 47.

If the catalog A to be carried by holder 39 is of the loose leaf type in which the pages are like the familiar type shown in Fig. 8, which is indicated as at B and includes a pair of holes C each having a notch D cut through to the outer edge of the page, then the holder is preferably constructed as best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 11 and includes an elongated base 49 which is connected at one end to hub 43 and upon which the various other parts of the holder are mounted. A pair of clamping bars 51, 52 are mounted from base 49, preferably by the following means: Adjacent each end of base 49 is provided a screw 53 extending transversely of the base and rotatably mounted therefrom as by means of a pair of brackets 55. At one end of each of screws 53 is fixedly mounted a bevel gear 57 which bevel gears are respectively in mesh with similar bevel gears 59 fixedly mounted on a shaft 61 having a knob 47 fixedly mounted at one end thereof and which shaft in turn extends longitudinally of base 49 and is rotatably mounted therefrom as by brackets 63. Each of screws 53 at the end opposite from gear 57 is provided with an enlarged portion 64. In addition, each of screws 53 is provided with oppositely threaded portions 65, 67. In other words one of portions 65, 67 is a right-hand threaded portion and the other a left-hand threaded portion. Each of screws 53 extend through aligned and oppositely threaded apertures 69, 71 respectively provided in clamping bars 51, 52, with the portion 65 extending through aperture 69 and the portion 67 extending through aperture 71. From the foregoing, it will be understood that twist of knob 47 in one direction will cause clamping bars 51, 52 to move apart for the insertion of pages B of the catalog and twist of the knob in the opposite direction will cause clamping bars 51, 52 to move together for the clamping of the pages there-between.

A pair of rods 73 respectively loosely extend through aligned apertures in clamping bars 51, 52 in a position which corresponds to the position of holes C so that in inserting pages B notches D are pushed over rods 73 until rods 73 extend through holes C. At each end of each rod 73 is provided a head 75 and between each head and the adjacent side of the adjacent clamping bar 51 or 52 extends a spring 77. Thus it will be understood that springs 77 act in conjunction with rods 73 to urge clamping bars 51, 52 towards one another to aid in the holding of pages B.

If the catalog A to be carried by holder 39 is of the type which is bound as opposed to the pages thereof being loose, then the holder is preferably as best shown in Fig. 9. In this form the holder comprises an elongated base 79 which is attached at one end to hub 43 and has the knob 47 fixedly attached adjacent the opposite end. Resilient means, as a spring 81 or the like is fixedly attached at one end as at 83 to base 79 adjacent one end of the base and a hook 85 is mounted on base 79 adjacent the opposite end thereof so that with the catalog positioned on base 79 in an open disposition as shown in Fig. 9, spring 81 is stretched across the center of the catalog and an eyelet 87. which is provided in the distal end of the spring, is engaged with hook 85 whereby the catalog is held in place by the spring.

It will be understood that rack 11 may be provided with either or both of the afore-mentioned types of holders 39. dependin upon its desired use.

In placing the catalogs A on the holders 39. the catalo s are placed thereon so that the free ed es of the catalogs trail the holders when the assembly 48 is rotated counterc ockwise as viewed in Fig. 2. Detent means is provided to prevent rotation of assembly 48 in the opposite direction. i.e.. in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. and to tem orarily retain the ho ders at a selected indexed position in which one of the holders is disposed adjacent shelf 29. Said detent means preferably includes a disc 89 fixedlv mounted on frame 13 as by means of screws 91 or the like. Disc 89 is mounted in a position so that axle 45 rotatably extends through an aperture disposed centrally of the disc. Spaced portions of disc 89 ad acent the periphery thereof are punched or struck inwardly towards frame 13 to provide a pluralitv of cam surfaces 93 and a pluralitv of stop portions 95 respectively at the ends of cam surfaces 93. Tn addition. said detent means includes a housing 97 fixedlv mounted on one of holders 39 adjacent hub 43 and in housing 97 is movably mounted a plunger 99 which is urged outwardly by a spring 101 so that the outer end of the plunger engages disc 89. Thus it will be seen that as assembly 48 is rotated counterclockwise plunger 99 is urged inwardly by a cam surface 93 until the plunger passes the stop portion 95, at which time the plunger will extend behind the stop portion to prevent clockwise rotation as viewed in Fig. 2, of assembly 48.

In the operation of rack 11 the customer grasps the knob 47 of the holder 39 which is in the position designated as F1 in Fig. 2 and pulls downwardly on the knob until this holder is indexed into the position adjacent shelf 29 which position is shown as at F2. It will be understood that then the holder which was formerly in the position F4 shown in Fig. 2 will be moved into position F1, and the other holders likewise will be indexed one position. The customer continues this indexing of the holders until the holder with the desired catalog is in the position designated F2.

The distance between plates 37 and between end walls 35 is narrow so that walls 35 and plates 37 act as a retaining means to retain the catalogs A in a substantially closed disposition when the catalogs are disposed there-between. Plates 37 are terminated along an edge as at 103 which edge is spaced above shelf 29 as best seen in Fig. 2 so as to provide an interrupted portion 105 of said retaining means. It will be understood that when the catalog which is in position F1 as heretofore described is pulled downwardly to the position of F2, as the catalog passes edge 103 and enters the interrupted portion 105 of the retaining means the catalog is free to open as shown by the catalog in Fig. 3 at F2 so that this catalog may be examined by the customer. The edges of shelves 29 adjacent slot 33 are beveled as at 107 to facilitate entry of the catalog which was in position F2 into the space between end walls 35. It will be understood that as the holders 39 are rotated the catalog which was in position F2 will be automatically closed as it is drawn in between the end walls 35.

A modified arrangement of the present invention is shown in Fig. 10 which is similar in construction to the heretofore described rack 11 except that more holders 39 have been added and in place of hub 43 forming part of the carrier means for the holders, the carrier means has been modified to include a continuous chain 109 disposed around a pair of gears 111, 113, to which chain are fixedly attached holders 39 at spaced intervals. Gear 111 is rotatably mounted from frame 115 as by an axle 117 located in a place on frame 115 similar to the location of axle 45 on frame 13. Gear 113 is rotatably mounted on an axle 119 preferably disposed adjacent a lower portion of frame 115 as shown in Fig. 10. Plates 121 are arranged in a similar manner to plates 37 except that plates 121 are substantially oblong so that they will extend adjacent the path of holders 39. The other part of the rack shown in Fig. 10 is substantially the same as that heretofore described for rack 11 and among other parts it is provided with slot 33 and interrupted portion 105. It should be noted that the detent means heretofore described for rack 11 is the same in the modified form shown in Fig. 10 with the exception that housing 97 is fixedly mounted on gear 111 instead of hub 43. Also the operation of the modified form in Fig. 10 is substantially the same as ragk 11 except, of course, there are more positions of in ex.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment ther of it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed. Also where the term catalog rack is used it will be understood that the rack may be used to hold not only catalogs in the narrow sense of the word but may be used to hold other types of books without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A rack for catalogs and the like comprising a frame including a projection establishing a shelf adjacent the upper part thereof, said frame being provided with a narrow vertical slot through a portion thereof, said slot dividing said projection into two parts, said projection including a pair of spaced end walls defining a part of said slot, a pair of spaced plates defining substantially the remainder of said slot, a carrier means movably mounted on said frame in said slot, a plurality of spaced holder means respectively mounted on said carrier means for respectively holding catalogs thereon, said carrier means being movable to a plurality of positions in which a selected one of said holder means is disposed adjae'cilt' said shelf in a position for use of a catalog held by the selected holder means, said carrier means and said holder means being arranged to carry the catalogs held thereby in a continuous path said end walls and said plates being arranged to establish retaining means for retaining the catalogs carried by said holder means in a substantially closed disposition, each of said plates being terminated at an edge spaced from said shelf to provide an interrupted portion of said retaining means adjacent said shelf whereby permitting opening of the catalog in said position of use, said projection being beveled adjacent said shelf and said slot whereby providing ease or entry of said catalogs between said end walls to cause closing of the catalogs, and detent means interposed and reacting between said carrier means and said frame for temporarily holding said carrier means in said selected positions and for permitting said carrier means to move in one direction only, which direction is such that said holder means are adapted to move in a direction from said terminated edges of said plates towards said shelf.

2. The structure in accordance with claim 1, in which said holder means comprises a base attached to said carrier means, a shaft rotatably mounted from said base, a knob fixedly mounted on said shaft adjacent one end thereof for the rotation thereof, a pair of clamping bars disposed in side-by-side relationship, said clamping bars being provided with oppositely threaded aligned apertures, a screw having oppositely threaded portions, said screw being rotatably mounted from said base, said screw extending through said apertures with said oppositely threaded portions respectively engaging said pair of clamping bars in said oppositely threaded apertures whereby rotation of said screw in one direction is effective to cause said clamping bars to move towards one another for the clamping of the pages of a catalog therebetween and rotation of said screw in the opposite direction is effective to cause said clamping bars to move apart for the release of said catalog pages, a gear fixedly mounted on said screw, 21 second gear fixedly mounted on said shaft, said first mentioned gear and said second gear being in mesh whereby rotation of said shaft by said knob is effective to rotate said screw and cause movement of said clamping bars for clamping and releasing said pages.

3. The structure in accordance with claim 1, in which said holder means comprises a base attached to said carrier means, a pair of clamping bars disposed in sideby-side relationship, said clamping bars being provided with oppositely threaded aligned apertures, a screw having oppositely threaded portions, said screw being rotatably mounted from said base means engaging said screw for the rotation thereof in opposite directions, said screw extending through said apertures with said oppositely threaded portions respectively engaging said pair of clamping bars in said oppositely threaded apertures whereby rotation of said screw in one direction is elfective to cause said clamping bars to move towards one another for the clamping of the pages of a catalog therebetween and rotation of said screw in the opposite direction is effective to cause said clamping bars to move apart for the release 01 said catalog pages.

4. The structure in accordance with claim 1 in which said holder means comprises an elongated base attached at one end to said carrier means, a knob fixedly attached to said base adjacent one end thereof remote from said carrier means, an elongated resilient means attached at one end to said base adjacent one end thereof, means for attaching the distal end of said resilient means to said base at a point thereon spaced from the attached end of said resilient means whereby said resilient means is adapted to be stretched across the middle of a bound catalog for the securing of the catalog to the base.

5. A rack for catalogs and the like comprising a frame including a projection establishing a shelf adjacent the upper part thereof, said frame being provided with a narrow vertical slot through a portion thereof, said slot dividing said projection into two parts, said projection including a pair of spaced end walls defining a part of said slot, a pair of spaced plates defining substantially the remainder of said slot, a carrier means movably mounted on said frame in said slot, a plurality of spaced holder means respectively mounted on said carrier means for respectively holding catalogs thereon, said carrier means being movable to a plurality of positions in which a selected one of said holder means is disposed adjacent said shelf in a position for use of a catalog held by the selected holder means, said carrier means and said holder means being arranged to carry the catalogs held thereby in a continuous path, said end walls and said plates being arranged to establish retaining means for retaining the catalogs carried by said holder means in a substantially closed disposition, each of said plates being terminated at an edge spaced from said shelf to provide an interrupted portion of said retaining means adjacent said shelf whereby permitting opening of the catalog in said position of use, said projection being beveled adjacent said shelf and said slot whereby providing ease of entry of said catalogs between said end walls to cause closing of the catalogs.

6. A rack for catalogs and the like comprising a frame including a shelf, said frame being provided with a slot through a portion thereof, a carrier means movably mounted on said frame in said slot, a plurality of spaced holder means respectively mounted on said carrier means for respectively holding catalogs thereon, said carrier means being movable to a plurality of positions in which a selected one of said holder means is disposed adjacent said shelf in a position for use of a catalog held by the selected holder means, said carrier means and said holder means being arranged to carry the catalogs held thereby in a continuous path, a pair of narrowly spaced plates disposed on either side of said continuous path for retaining the catalogs carried by said holder means in a sub stantially closed disposition, said plates being terminated at a place spaced above said shelf to provide an open place thereabove whereby permitting opening of a catalog in said position of use.

7. The structure in accordance with claim 6, in which said holder means comprises a base attached to said carrier means, a pair of clamping bars disposed in sideby-side relationship, said clamping bars being provided with oppositely threaded aligned apertures, a screw having oppositely threaded portions, said screw being rotatably mounted from said base, means engaging said screw for the rotation thereof in opposite directions, said screw extending through said apertures with said oppositely threaded portions respectively engaging said pair of clamping bars in said oppositely threaded apertures whereby rotation of said screw in one direction is effective to cause said clamping bars to move towards one another for the clamping of the pages of a catalog therebetween and rotation of said screw in the opposite direction is effective to cause said clamping bars to move apart for the release of said catalog pages.

8. The structure in accordance with claim 6, in which said holder means comprises an elongated base attached at one end to said carrier means, a knob fixedly attached to said base adjacent one end thereof remote from said carrier means, an elongated resilient means attached at one end to said base adjacent one end thereof, means for attaching the distal end of said resilient means to said base at a point thereon spaced from the attached end of said resilient means whereby said resilient means is adapted to be stretched across the middle of a bound catalog for the securing of the catalog to the base.

9. A rack for catalogs and the like comprising a frame including a shelf, carrier means movably mounted relative to said frame for movement in one direction in a continuous path, a plurality of spaced holder means respectively mounted on said carrier means, each of said holder means being arranged for holding a catalog, said carrier means, being movable to a plurality of positions in which a selected one of said holder means is disposed adjacent said shelf in a position for use of the related catalog held thereby, retaining means disposed adjacent said carrier means for retaining each of said catalogs in a closed disposition when its related holder means is in any of said positions other than said position for use, said retaining means being interrupted adjacent said shelf whereby permitting a selected catalog to open for examination when in said position of use.

10. A rack for catalogs and the like comprising a frame, carrier means movably mounted relative to said frame for movement in one direction in a continuous path, a plurality of spaced holder means respectively mounted on said carrier means, each of said holder means being arranged for holding a catalog, said carrier means being movable to a plurality of positions in which a selected one of said holder means is disposed adjacent a forward part of said frame in a position for use of the related catalog held thereby, retaining means disposed adjacent said carrier means for retaining each of said catalogs in a closed disposition when its related holder means is in any of said positions other than said position for use, said retaining means being interrupted adjacent said forward part of said frame whereby permitting a selected catalog to open for examination when in said position of use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 253,290 Hunter Feb. 7, 1882 928,342 Streit July 20, 1909 2,384,355 Torrence Sept. 4, 1945 2,703,744 Karper Mar. 8, 1955 

